Abstract
Virgin olive oil (VOO) is one of the key components of the Mediterranean diet owing to the presence of monounsaturated fatty acids and various bioactive compounds. These beneficial traits, which are usually associated with the cultivar genotype, are highlighting the demand of identifying characteristics of olive oil that will ensure its authenticity. In this work, the fatty acid (FA) composition of 199 VOO samples from Koroneiki, Megaritiki, Amfissis, and Manaki cultivars was determined and studied by chemometrics. Olive cultivar greatly influenced the FA composition, namely, oleic acid (from 75.36% for Amfissis to 65.81% for Megaritiki) and linoleic acid (from 13.35% for Manaki to 6.70% for Koroneiki). Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients revealed differences and similarities among the olive oil cultivars. The use of the forward stepwise algorithm identified the FAs arachidonic acid, gadoleic acid, linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, palmitoleic acid, and palmitic acid as the most significant for the differentiation of samples. The application of linear and quadratic cross-validation discriminant analysis resulted in the correct classification of 100.00% and 99.37% of samples, respectively. The findings demonstrated the special characteristics of the VOO samples derived from the four cultivars and their successful botanical differentiation based on FA composition.
Highlights
Virgin olive oil (VOO) is the sole edible olive oil which is extracted from the fruits ofOlea europaea L. without having recourse to refining processes [1]
The fatty acid composition of 199 VOO samples belonging to the cultivars of Koroneiki, Megaritiki, Amfissis, and Manaki was determined and studied by chemometrics
For Amfissis), suggested high oxidative stability of the virgin olive oils derived from both cultivars
Summary
Virgin olive oil (VOO) is the sole edible olive oil which is extracted from the fruits ofOlea europaea L. without having recourse to refining processes [1]. Olive oil has established hypolipidemic and antioxidant properties and its regular integration into the diet is said to result in major health benefits, including fewer cardiovascular diseases and neurological issues, and lower rates of breast and colon cancer [2]. Researchers have argued that these benefits stem from one of two features of olive oil: its high monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) content, where the main component is oleic acid, and the existence of minor molecules, for example, phytosterols, carotenoids, tocopherols, and polyphenols [3]. It has long been argued that human health is improved if saturated fats are replaced by monounsaturated fats since this lowers levels of cholesterol in the blood [5]. Olive oil is a key element in the human diet
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